The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-12-10

it. There's the rake and hoe by the
wood-shed, and see that you make a
clean job of it, if you do it at ALL
Half way measures don't suit me, ! can
tell you. l suppose your fingers are
stiff-all of 'em have stiff fingers. Its
the work they do that stiffens 'em, of
course" satirically. "Now you can
weed and get good dinner, or you
can go on tramping without one"
Miss Todd closed the door and went
back to the kitchen, leaving the man
to DO as he pleased about the vegetable
patch.
She looked from the window pres
emily, and saw him taking up the hoe
and rake in an uncertain way, which
gave her the impression that he was
seriously in doubt whether to enter the
garden or go out of the yard by the way
he had come in.
81 am public benefactor," she
mutteled, as the sound of descending
Lea- --snehad- Aa-- .-aar-.as,4 Ia4a--=
81 do sight more for the improve
ment of my fellow-man. Most women
would have given that tramp a slice of
bread and meat and sent him off. But
my conscience won't let me send 'em
off in that way. can't reconcile my
self to putting the bread of idleness in
in any creatures mouth. Them tramps
as comes to this house gets taste for
honest labor"
And Miss Todd thought with justifia-
BILE pride how many times this practice
had resulted in the wedding of her gar
den and the filling up of her wood
shed.
The man worked on in the hot sun,
wedding, raking and hoeing, with an
industry and skill which pleased and
surprised the thrifty spinster, who look
ed out of the window occasionally as
she made her preparations for the noon
day meal.
When the clock struck twelve she
went to the door and called the man
in.
"May wash my hands and face Z"
he asked in a timid voice, as he stop
ped at the kitchen door, and saw the
neatly spread table within.
Miss Todd brought tin basin and
coarse towel, which she placed on a
bench outside.
"There's plenty of water in the well" ("
she said, as she went back into the pam
try whereshe was busy putting some new
pickles into jars.
She did not appear or speak again
until the man had finished his dinner.
Then she put her head into the kitchen
with the remark that if he cared ''to
turn an honest penny, he could now
clean out the stable"
"But, ma am, it is time ! was think
ing of starting off"
son your tramp again." finished
Miss Todd. CHOW, don't you think
you ought to be ashamed of yourself2
You, an able-bodied, healthy man, in
the prime of life, spending your days
strolling round the country, begging
for something to eat at every farm
nouser It's snamefui-l Hou-da0ri (
tOOk actually VICIOUS, ana you can work
if you choose, as that garden shows
You might get roof over your head
and be respectable member of society
instead of trampin' over the country
stealing and sleeping in barns, and
making nuisance of yourself to every
body"
A desperate, wild look had come
over the mans face he seemed goaded
beyond endurance by these reproaches,
and as Miss Todd paused for breath,
he broke in with frantic haste:
81 amt tramp. I'm Keturah Bas-
sett's brother Jeremiah.
"Good land II calculated Miss
Todd, almost stunned by this surpris-
ing information. "Jeremiah Bassett !
want to know And how I've been
treating of you Why in mercy's sake
didn't you tell me in the first place who
you was 7"
"You wouldn't let me get word in
edgeways," answered the deacon
'.You would do all the talking"
s'Anu toOK yOu r0I tramp F.
Well, well But sit down you mustn't
hurry off. You must give me tinas to
apologize for all I've done and said to
hurt your feelings"
ssNo apologies necessary" +" said the
deacon, calamity. "Iknyw I'm dusty,
but my horse cast shoein front of a
smithy two miles back, md l left him
there, and come the balance of the way
afoot."
'sDid you want to see me for any
thing particular asked Miss Todd.
"No," said the deacon, with a sud-
den accession of color on his rugged
face. 81 jest came to make friendly
CALL"
Miss Todd saw the blush, and, with
the keen intuition woman always dis
plays in any matter pertaining to the
heart, knew at orce just how the mat
ters stood. She Kew as well as if she
had been told il So many words, that
jeremiah Basset had come courting,
and she lookei at him with renewed
interest.
"Well," sF Sid nfter r>>ur0' sShsp
ing which Jeem
easily in hi cl
that / treaed
must came .gai
for it. Tlkn
won't take yo'
t. g. Ia ~